St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-01
VAN WYCK,s vALEDICTORY.


1t must have been good deal of salts
action to Mr.. VAN WICK 10 speak his
mind to his senatorial colleagues be-
ore retiring from the body in whose side
le has been Il thorn in the flesh for some
lime past. There was no more unpopular
nan in the senate than VAN WICK, and
t is generally known that a good many of his
senatorial brethren took an active part in
securing his defeat and none of them shed
ears over it. The cause of Mr.. VAN
NYCK's unpopularity was his fashion of
jpeakng right out in meeting. VAN WICK
s an honest old fellow of plain manners
Who is i'll the habit of calling things by their
light names. He was to the senate what
NATHAN was to DAVID. He was not
afraid to rise in that august assembly and
tell the members that they were a set of I'M
Nitigated rascals. He pointed ont to them
quite frequently that they were in the habit
of stealing the peoples eve lamb and ap-
proprating it as their individual property.
This was unpalatable sort of talk for the
convicted senators to listen to. They
didn't do as DAVID did, own up and con
Tess that they had sinned and
get in a repentont state of mind. Repent
snce is not senat orial quality On the
contrary, they schemed among themselves
aow to get rid of this prophet of the people
who was continually rasping them on &C.
count of their sins. They went out to Ne
oraska and hired Republican JEZEBEI to
1rive nail in old VAN WYCK's temple.
lie was caught mapping and the work was
lone according to contract. a Piiistine
>f the most malodorous type was elected to
all VAN WYCK'S place in the senate. But
now, as the old ccmmoner is about to retire
from the place which may know him no
more forever, he fires a parting salute. and
il is very effective one. He shows game
% the last and dies with his bdots on. His
galedictory is formal arragnment of the
senate. He criticiseS the manner in which
That body is constituted. The public will
agree with the retiring Nebraska senator
that many of the defects of the senate are
inherent i'll its constitution. His remedy is
The same which the GLOBE has all along
prescribed-the election of senators by a
dlrect popular vote. 1t is true that by this
plan there would he occasional danger of
putting demagogue in the senate. But
they get there now and then, anyhow. sc
that the danger in that direction
would not be greatly increased.
The principal advantage in popular cleo
ton of senators would be in removing the
temptation for corruption. Intrigue and
cabal find fruitful field for their operations
under the existing system of elections by
the legislatures that would not be found Il
senators were chosen by popular vote. Il
Mr. VAN WYCK's suggestion was adopted
the country would be spared the scene:
which are now witnessed in Indiana ant
New Jersey. 1t is for the reason that ;
legislature is more exposed to the machina
lions of political iobbers than the Who'll,
body of the people, that the change in tn,
method OF electing senators is made desir
able. Still there is nothing but the over
powering pressure of public sentiment, suct
as was brought to bear in favor of the inter
state commerce bill, which will ever brin,
this change in senatorial election method
about 1t will require q constitutional
amendment and the senate as it is at pres
ent constituted will be in no hurry to brin.
about the change